I have sailed a Catalina 387 for over 20 years. Sold my boat last Fall and am now considering a new 315. Never had an issue with the 387, we just decided to come down from almost 40 feet to something a little shorter. We day sail only, so above deck features are more important to us than are accommodations and features below. Does anyone have comments?
Considering a new Catalina 315
- Thread starter IAhawks
- Start date
I was in love with the 315 for awhile, looking to upgrade from my ‘77 C30. I finally got to see one in person. Very pretty. But I was not impressed by the boat. Downsides for me:
Length overall was over 34’. Definitely required a 35’ slip, not a 30’ slip.
In-mast furler only. I guess I’m a Luddite here, but the added weight aloft and the poor performance of the main sail on the in mast furled sailboats I crew on has put me off of them.
Auto pilot ram in the starboard aft locker is nicer than a wheel pilot but it needs some kind of protection covering it. Or you wouldn’t want to put anything else in that locker. It would get mashed up and the rudder would probably jam.
I question the concept of putting a small and awkward cabinet in the quarter berth to house the fuel filter and water filter. I tried to imagine changing that filter without dripping diesel down where you couldn’t effectively clean it up. In the area where you might be sleeping. Good idea but bad implementation in my view. It works in the 445, but the cabinet is a lot bigger.
It’s really a C30 on steroids.
I also had a hard time imagining single-handing it with the permanent table in the way as you have to move forward to manage the main sheet. And you really need the table for the foot rest because the cockpit is so wide.
Other than that I loved the boat.
I ended up with a 2001 C30 MK III in gorgeous condition with about 500 hrs on the engine, new sails and stack pack, good instruments etc. for about $200,000 less.
If I was going to buy new, and didn’t mind a 35’ slip, I decided I would go for a 355. I know of one that has a traditional main, but I think it’s the only one.
I was surprised how my ardor cooled when I saw the 315 in person.
I hope this is of some use to you.
Good luck in your next boat!
Length overall was over 34’. Definitely required a 35’ slip, not a 30’ slip.
In-mast furler only. I guess I’m a Luddite here, but the added weight aloft and the poor performance of the main sail on the in mast furled sailboats I crew on has put me off of them.
Auto pilot ram in the starboard aft locker is nicer than a wheel pilot but it needs some kind of protection covering it. Or you wouldn’t want to put anything else in that locker. It would get mashed up and the rudder would probably jam.
I question the concept of putting a small and awkward cabinet in the quarter berth to house the fuel filter and water filter. I tried to imagine changing that filter without dripping diesel down where you couldn’t effectively clean it up. In the area where you might be sleeping. Good idea but bad implementation in my view. It works in the 445, but the cabinet is a lot bigger.
It’s really a C30 on steroids.
I also had a hard time imagining single-handing it with the permanent table in the way as you have to move forward to manage the main sheet. And you really need the table for the foot rest because the cockpit is so wide.
Other than that I loved the boat.
I ended up with a 2001 C30 MK III in gorgeous condition with about 500 hrs on the engine, new sails and stack pack, good instruments etc. for about $200,000 less.
If I was going to buy new, and didn’t mind a 35’ slip, I decided I would go for a 355. I know of one that has a traditional main, but I think it’s the only one.
I was surprised how my ardor cooled when I saw the 315 in person.
I hope this is of some use to you.
Good luck in your next boat!
Thanks much for your thoughts. I will be looking at a new 315 tomorrow and will keep your concerns in mind. What year was the boat you saw? I am wondering what may have changed from then until 2024.
We do agree on in mast furling. My 387 had it and I never liked the way the boat looked or sailed. Also, the 315 sail has four vertical battens. I've been told by a sail maker that battens have a tendency to jam in the mast?
Yes, I will have two slip options - 30 feet and 40 feet. Probably get lost in a 40 foot!
Did the C30 address all the concerns you mentioned with the 315?
Again, Thanks much.
We do agree on in mast furling. My 387 had it and I never liked the way the boat looked or sailed. Also, the 315 sail has four vertical battens. I've been told by a sail maker that battens have a tendency to jam in the mast?
Yes, I will have two slip options - 30 feet and 40 feet. Probably get lost in a 40 foot!
Did the C30 address all the concerns you mentioned with the 315?
Again, Thanks much.
I think the boat I looked at was a 2019. Possibly a 2020.
Yes, my C30 pretty much does it for me!
Yes, my C30 pretty much does it for me!
Ha! I just checked Yachtworld and this is the very boat I looked at when it was brand new. It's for sale.
I'm not sure I understand the need for a bigger slip? I'm next to a 315 in my marine and I'm pretty sure both the 310 and 315 are the same hull. The difference is the layout inside, 315 seems more traditional and the 310 has a full width queen front berth. The 315 has more room for guest below, but I've had 7 on board with plenty of room for everyone. A new boat sounds awesome too, good luck.
It depends on how sticky your marina is. In Santa Barbara a Catalina 40 is not allowed in a 30’ slip until the bow pulpit has been cut down enough for the boat to measure 30’ OVER ALL.
Where I am we are allowed a 3’ overhang to the stern. The 315 I measured (the one in the video was 34’-5 or so. It’s been a few years so I don’t remember exactly but it was enough that I would have to take a 35’ slip IN MY MARINA.
ymmv
Where I am we are allowed a 3’ overhang to the stern. The 315 I measured (the one in the video was 34’-5 or so. It’s been a few years so I don’t remember exactly but it was enough that I would have to take a 35’ slip IN MY MARINA.
ymmv
I'm looking at that really looong pulpit with the anchor hanging out almost 3 feet from the bow. It is so long, it even has a strut for support. So it appears that it is no longer in space than a 31 or 32 foot boat. Some marinas really come down on you for those overhangs ... some maybe not so much. Unless you can get away with allowing your anchor to smash the dock (or you back in and your anchor extends into the fairway), you may need a 35' slip for that boat.
On the builders web Catalina shows that the 315 has an overall length of 33' with 31' as the hull length. Good luck.
I think that ginormous anchor roller set-up is designed to act as a bowsprit as well. The stainless steel tang with a hole in it that sticks up would be great to attach a block to for an asymmetrical spinnaker downhaul. or a bottom up furler for your code zero.
Maybe you could order the boat with a shorter anchor roller to fit into a smaller slip, and if your need a bowsprit add a Selden removable unit.
Maybe you could order the boat with a shorter anchor roller to fit into a smaller slip, and if your need a bowsprit add a Selden removable unit.
Guess if I were looking for a 30 plus footer for day sailing I'd be seriously looking at a J boat. Love my C34, but the upwind pointing and overall performance of a J are difficult to disregard...
In my marina, my 88 C30 tr/bs is rated as a 33' boat. They come down and measure it and round up to the next higher full foot. That is assuming that my outboard is left with the powerhead positioned athwartship. If it is fore and aft, they will up my slip fee to 34'. They regularly measure boats when they see a new bit of gear added. The measurement is from the forward most piece of gear [permanent or temporary] to the aft most projection of anything [permanent or temporary].
I appreciate everyone’s comments. I did see the 315 (brand new) yesterday. Extremely impressive.
The hull is 31feet and the overall is 33 feet - as per Steve’s comment earlier. That additional 2 feet is due to the really beefy anchor roller, which is designed to fly a downwind sail.
There is no way I could consider a 30 foot slip. With the bow right at the end of the slip (which is concrete and steel) the transom is a minimum 1 foot into the runway. And the anchor roller would be extending 2 feet into a sidewalk area. A potential tripping hazard. A longer slip would obviously have plenty of room to spare!
The hull is 31feet and the overall is 33 feet - as per Steve’s comment earlier. That additional 2 feet is due to the really beefy anchor roller, which is designed to fly a downwind sail.
There is no way I could consider a 30 foot slip. With the bow right at the end of the slip (which is concrete and steel) the transom is a minimum 1 foot into the runway. And the anchor roller would be extending 2 feet into a sidewalk area. A potential tripping hazard. A longer slip would obviously have plenty of room to spare!